A vehicle of any type (e.g., an aircraft, a ship, or a car) may be performing a trip from one location to another, and upon reaching its destination, the vehicle may be serviced while at the destination before the vehicle is ready to perform another trip or task. For example, a car that is participating in car racing, may be subjected to frequent stops at which maintenance operations are performed on the car, before the car is ready to continue the race.
As another example, in aviation, aircraft ground handling defines the servicing of an aircraft while it is on the ground and parked at a terminal gate of an airport. Many servicing operations are performed on the aircraft to prepare the aircraft for another flight. Ground handling addresses the many service requirements of an airliner between the time the aircraft arrives at a terminal gate and the time it departs on its next flight. Speed, efficiency, and accuracy of the servicing operations determine the turnaround time (e.g., the time during which the aircraft remains parked at the gate).
Example ground handling services for an aircraft include cabin service to ensure passenger comfort. While cabin cleaning comprises the bulk of the effort, cabin service also includes tasks such as replenishing onboard consumables (soap, tissues and toilet paper, reading materials) and washable items like pillows and blankets.
Another example service includes catering. Catering involves unloading of unused food and drink from the aircraft, and the loading of fresh food and drink for passengers and crew. Airline meals are typically delivered in airline service trolleys. Empty or trash-filled trolley from the previous flight is replaced with fresh ones.
Another example service includes ramp service. Ramp service includes operations such as guiding the aircraft into and out of the parking position (by way of aircraft marshalling); towing the aircraft with pushback tow tractors; lavatory drainage; water cartage; maintenance and checking of air conditioning systems and air-start units; luggage handling, by means of belt loaders and baggage carts; handling gate checked luggage on the tarmac as passengers disembark; air cargo handling by means of cargo dollies and cargo loaders; preparing, mobilizing, and delivering catering trucks to the gate; refueling, which may be done using a refueling tanker truck or refueling pumper; providing ground power so that engines of the aircraft are not running to provide aircraft power on the ground; providing passenger stairs in some cases where a jet bridge is not available); providing wheelchair lifts if requested; providing hydraulic units that provide hydraulic power to the aircraft externally; and deicing, among other operations.
Another example service includes passenger service. Passenger service involves services inside the airport terminal such as providing check-in counter services for the passengers departing on the aircraft; providing gate arrival and departure services, where agents meet a flight on arrival as well as provide departure services including boarding passengers and closing the flight; and staffing the transfer counters, customer service counters, and airline lounges.
Another example service includes field operation service. This service involves dispatching the aircraft and maintaining communication with the rest of the airline operation at the airport and with Air Traffic Control.
As indicated by the list of services above, a large swarm of activities are initiated and performed to prepare an aircraft for a subsequent flight. Some of these activities may occur in sequence while other can be performed in parallel. A delay in any of these services may delay a flight by keeping the aircraft parked at the gate. It is estimated that such delays in a turnaround of an aircraft may cost the airliner up to $150 k. Additionally, customer dissatisfaction and negative impact on the reputation of the airliner because of the delays and the disruption of customer's schedules may further affect profitability of the airliner. Thus, turnaround time between an aircraft pulling to the gate and pushing back to fly with a full set of passengers in a short period of time may increase airline profitability and facilitate maintaining airline reputation of on-time arrival.
While a commercial aircraft is used above as an example, a similar swarm of activities is conducted to prepare other types of vehicles or machinery for further operation. Other example types of vehicles and machinery that go through frequent servicing operations include passenger cars, ships, helicopters, machinery at a manufacturing facilities, etc.
Servicing operations may be highly manual and labor driven. Personnel are tasked to find, gather, and take equipment to a service location (e.g., terminal gate). Such activities may cause undue delays because of the potential for lack of coordination and preparedness. Such delay may be more prominent in a site that involves performing such operations on many vehicles. For example, at an airport, many aircraft are being processed and serviced simultaneously at different gates, thus sharing resources and servicing equipment. If an airliner is not able to perform even a single type of service, the aircraft may be delayed. Further, by asking personnel to find, gather, roster, and deliver tools and equipment to a service location, the personnel spend less time and effort on completing service tasks at hand.
It may thus be desirable to implement a system that reduces turnaround time of a vehicle by automating tasks such as coordination, preparedness, and timeliness of finding, gathering, and delivering tools and equipment. This way, speed, efficiency, and accuracy of vehicle/equipment servicing operations may be enhanced.